1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container used for collecting urine or other biological liquid specimens and for testing modules which can be removably attached to the container. After the biological liquid has been collected, the lid for the container is replaced and the container sealed by the patient or medical person handling the collection. The present collection container allows for secondary collection of the urine specimen from along different fluid levels of the urine in the container without removing the lid, thereby allowing a specimen to be tested without contamination of the specimen from workers or materials outside the container. This transferring can be done without pouring or pipetting the collecting specimen. It can thus be seen that the present invention is directed to a medical and laboratory biological specimen collecting and testing apparatus. The urine container together with attachable testing modules is used in diagnostic cytology in the area of clinical pathology in which diagnoses are made based upon a microscopic examination of cell and other biological samples taken from a body site. The accuracy of the diagnosis depends both upon adequate patient sampling and culture or slide preparation procedures that result in optimally interpretable specimens.
It is known that prompt processing of urine traditionally has been recommended to ensure accuracy of quantitative culture results, urinalysis and microscopy. This is important in making slides, in that fresh cells stick to the glass slide much better than cells from preserved urine, allowing a smoother cell spread onto the glass body. However, delays in processing and care of both inpatient and outpatient settings and refrigeration is often neglected. One solution to the delay problem is the use of chemical preservation of the urine and this preservation system has been used in the field. The presence of liquid preservative in the urine specimen raises the specific gravity of the specimen to unmeasurable levels and limits the potential usefulness of the urine for various types of traditional quantitative analysis, such as slide microscopy.
A number of urine or other biological liquid specimen containers have been developed allowing liquid biological specimens to be tested without removing the lid of the urine or biological fluid container.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,953,132 discloses a parenteral solution bottle with an inwardly projecting tube and a rubber stopper and an associated dispenser bottle which is adapted to introduce the medication into the parenteral solution bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,066,671 discloses a disposable additive container provided with a cover formed with a shaft guiding sleeve. The shaft guiding sleeve receives an infusion holder and an additive container.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,608,550 discloses a transfer needle assembly for transferring fluid from a fluid source to a fluid collection container. The needle assembly includes a first cannula mounted on a support means which engages the collection container and is adapted to be connected at its forward end to the fluid source and at its rear end to the collection container. A second cannula is mounted on the support means and is adapted to be connected at its forward end to the fluid source and at its rear end to the atmosphere allowing fluid to be transferred from a fluid source to a collection container by atmospheric pressure when the volume within the collection container is sufficiently increased.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,482 discloses an apparatus and method for the collection, cultivation and identification of microorganisms obtained from body fluids. The apparatus includes an evacuated tube containing a culture medium, an inert gaseous atmosphere and a vent-cap assembly. The tube containing the culture medium is fitted with a stopper for introduction of body fluid by means of a cannula and, after growth of the organisms, transfer of the cultured medium is completed for subculturing or identification procedures.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,024,857 discloses a micro device for collecting blood from an individual or other blood source into a blood sampler cup. The cup has a removable vented truncated cone shaped top with a capillary tube passing through a well formed in the top proximate to the inside wall of the cup to deliver blood directly from the blood source to the cup.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,066 discloses a device for the collection of a liquid, such as urine comprising an open ended urine collection container provided with a hollow cannula attached to its bottom. The cannula is slotted near its base, and serves as the conduit through which liquid may be transferred from the container to an evacuated tube. When the stopper of the evacuated tube is punctured by the cannula, the pressure difference causes liquid deposited in the container to be drawn through the slot into the hollow cannula and into the tube.
Another attempt to solve this problem is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,300,404, in which a container is developed having a liquid container with a snap fit lid. The lid is provided with a cannula which extends into the lower end of the container and which projects through the lid at its upper end so as to be able to pierce the stopper of an air-evacuated tubular container. The container is also provided with a depressed bottom to assure the maximum collection of fluids and the lid is provided with a recess to accommodate the air-evacuated tube.